If you’re a developer working with P3D (Prepar3D), you may have encountered the default AI (Artificial Intelligence) aircraft that come pre-packaged with the simulator. While these AI aircraft can be useful for some scenarios, you may find yourself wanting to remove them in order to create a more tailored and customized experience. Whether you’re creating your own AI traffic or simply looking to clear up the virtual skies for a more realistic simulation, here’s a step-by-step guide on how to remove default AI from P3D.
Step 1: Backup Your Files
Before making any changes to your P3D installation, it’s important to make a backup of the files you’ll be working with. This will ensure that you can easily revert any changes if something goes wrong. Locate the “SimObjects” folder within your P3D installation directory, and make a copy of the “Airplanes” and “Rotorcraft” folders. Store these copies in a safe location as your backup.
Step 2: Remove Default AI Aircraft
Once you have your backup files in place, you can proceed to remove the default AI aircraft. Navigate to the “SimObjects” folder within your P3D installation directory and open the “Airplanes” and “Rotorcraft” folders. Look for the default AI aircraft folders, which are typically named after the aircraft model (e.g., “AI_A321” or “AI_B737_800”).
You can safely remove these folders from the “Airplanes” and “Rotorcraft” directories. Alternatively, you can move them to a separate location outside of the P3D installation directory if you prefer to keep them for reference purposes.
Step 3: Clear AI Traffic
After removing the default AI aircraft folders, you’ll want to clear out any lingering references to these aircraft within P3D. Open P3D and navigate to the “AI Traffic” settings. Remove any default AI aircraft from your AI traffic schedule, and ensure that the simulator is no longer attempting to spawn these aircraft in your virtual environment.
Step 4: Test and Verify
Once you’ve removed the default AI aircraft and cleared your AI traffic schedule, it’s time to test your changes. Start up P3D and observe the virtual skies to ensure that the default AI aircraft are no longer present. You should now have a clearer, more customized simulation environment without the default AI cluttering up the airspace.
It’s worth noting that removing default AI from P3D may impact the overall traffic density and variety in your simulation. To compensate for this, you may want to consider installing third-party AI traffic packages that offer a wider range of aircraft models and liveries for a more diverse and realistic virtual world.
In conclusion, removing default AI from P3D can help you create a more personalized and tailored simulation experience. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can effectively clear out the default AI aircraft and enjoy a more customized virtual environment. Always remember to make backups before making any changes, and consider supplementing your AI traffic with third-party add-ons to enhance the overall experience.